2026 School Violence Recovery Program: How It Transforms Elementary Education in South Korea

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The Chungbuk Provincial Office of Education announced on the 27th that it will implement the “School Violence Relationship Restoration Reflection System” in elementary schools beginning in the 2026 school year.

Under the system, schools will run a defined period of educational activities—dialogue, mediation, counseling and other measures to restore relationships—before a dedicated body’s formal review when a school violence incident occurs. The program aims to help students understand one another’s perspectives and repair damaged relationships. While relationship-recovery programs were previously run at schools’ discretion, the office has now institutionalized the approach so it can be introduced and applied from the earliest stage of an incident.

The office also extended the dedicated body’s review period from three weeks to four to give students, guardians and schools more time for communication and conflict resolution. The program’s scope will proactively cover minor incidents across all elementary grades. Middle and high schools may also operate the reflection system if a principal deems it necessary and the students involved agree.

To ensure stable implementation, the office established a phased support system. Individual schools will form relationship-improvement support teams—led by the vice principal, a counseling teacher and the dean of student affairs—to handle initial mediation and, if needed, request expert assistance from the Education Support Office’s School Violence Zero Center. Education support offices will create support teams composed of administrative staff, relationship-restoration coordinators and teachers to inform guardians about the program and provide professional mediation services.

To help the program take root, the office will run region-based capacity-building trainings on the Relationship Restoration Reflection System from the 27th through the 29th for elementary teachers and school support teams. The southern region (Boeun, Okcheon, Yeongdong) will meet on the 27th at the Boeun Education Support Office; the central region (Cheongju, Jincheon, Goesan, Jeungpyeong, Eumseong) on the 28th at the Natural Science Education Center; and the northern region (Chungju, Jecheon, Danyang) on the 29th at the Danjae Education Training Institute northern branch.

The Chungbuk Provincial Office of Education expects the program will give students practical experience in resolving conflicts and restoring relationships, allowing them to develop within a healthy school community grounded in mutual respect and consideration.

Choi Seon‑mi, director of the Character and Citizenship Division, said, “Punitive responses alone make it difficult for students to achieve full educational recovery after incidents of school violence. We need a relationship-restoration approach. We will strengthen on-the-ground support so every student can grow in a safe, respectful environment.”

Officials say the new system should help students resolve conflicts through educational measures and rebuild healthy school communities. Through the program, students will gain experience understanding one another and repairing relationships, creating opportunities to grow based on mutual respect and care.

The Chungbuk Office of Education’s efforts are expected to play a key role in ensuring that students can grow in safe and respectful learning environments.

Chungbuk — Reporter Lee Hyun‑seung bpda@viva100.com